Edinburgh Weekly News 16/6

The father and son combines of Gordon Wilson Snr and Jnr and Andy and Jamie Reid of Edinburgh’s Northern BC have paraded their skills in perfect unison to reach the finals stage of the Fours in the national championships at Ayr Northfield.

The District 14 finals played at Queensberry saw Wilson Snr skip Andy Reid, Wilson Jnr, and Jamie Reid saw the richly talented Northern rink trigger the victory salute at the 20-17 expense of Alan McCabe, Davy Morris, Mike McBrierty, and Ross Whigham of Leith. An epic encounter saw Northern lead 12-11 after 10 ends then remain under severe pressure at 18-17 playing the last where Andy Reid smothered the jack with his two lead bowls then see them survive a series of Leith assaults to punch the air for Ayr.

Wardie dealt Leith a second knockout blow with their triple of Scott McDonald, Alan Ward, and John Maginnis chinning George Fitzgerald, Peter Rogers, and Ali Mackay with a 2, 2, 3. 3 onslaught then going on to win 15-10.

A double triumph for Craigentinny was headlined by David Brown producing a strong display in the Singles to score a hard fought 21-17 win in 25 ends over Tait Trophy holder Liam McKay of Tanfield.

Blackhall provided the opposition in the Pairs but their partnership of Brian Lockhart and George Kirk were always against the collar as Gordon Bold and Willie McDonald powered their way to a 16-11 victory.

Liam McKay had also reached the final of the Junior Singles and his rearranged clash with Josh Spalding of Craigentinny at Seafield make the most of his second bite at the Ayr cherry, defeating the 2011 national finalist, 21-14.

The final of the Mixed Pairs saw Colin Bell play the hero role for Hillside with a brilliant last bowl trail conversion for 2 shots to skip Violet Winton to a 15-14 win over Tracy Campbell and Calum Munro of Tanfield.

Darren Burnett – Scotland’s gold medal hero skip in the recent Commonwealth Games was the ace in the pack for the Arbroath team that captured the Purdie Worldwide Inter County Top Ten title for Angus in the final days play at Edinburgh venue, Bainfield. Burnett skipped Gavin Swankie to a 26-12 win over Castle Douglas of Stewartry in the Pairs and winning support came in the Singles (21-14) and the Triples (18-6).

Stuart Fleming of Inveresk emerged the king pin figure in the Midlothian District Finals of the national championships with his capture of the Singles crown achieved at the 21-14 expense of high profile Buccleuch challenger Danny McDougall. Paul Innes of Polton booked his passage to Ayr at the 21-10 expense of Craig More of Shottstown MW in the Junior Singles and is joined by his club-mates Les Porter and Robin McNab who edged a 22-21 thriller over Ronnie and Robbie Scott of Musselburgh in the Pairs. Other results; Triples Gorebridge 19 Polton 11; Fours Gilmerton 13 Loanhead MW 11; Mixed Pairs Gilmerton 18 Loanhead MW 9; Senior Singles Dougie Taylor (West Linton) 21 Wullie Allan (Easthouses) 14; Seniors Fours Newcraighall 17 Danderhall 11.

Greg Logan – the 2016 WL Master from Uphall Station– survived a 21-19 nail biter against Norrie Alexander of Ratho to reach the West Lothian District Singles final of the national championships. Gary Smith of Linlithgow– the reigning WLBA Champion of Champions – progressed with a 21-13 win over County champion Glenn King of West Calder while James Speirs of Newbridge beat Steven Fleming of Buchan Park, 21-17. Also Oakbank 21 Stoneyburn 18.

Linlithgow have made a surprise exit in the quarter finals stage of The Rosebery Cup (1882) with last years finalists edged out in a 70-65 battle with Newbridge – also Buchan Park 63 East Calder 41; West Calder 67 Ratho 60; Whitburn 65 Uphall Station 55.

It should have been Edinburgh & Leith that tops the East Section of the Hamilton Trophy league table; but their failure to defend a 14 shot lead entering the final straight saw them surrender that supremacy to a West Lothian opposition that got up on the line to snatch a 109-108 victory at The Deans green in Livingston. It looked all over for WL when they trailed 94-80 entering ends 18 of 21 but the home team staged a ferocious fight back across the six rinks and floored their visitors with a 29-14 dominance. The dash to the line saw Neil Speirs finish 1, 1, 2, (2) to beat John Ramsay 20-18; Andy Dunnett finished 3, (1), 1, 3 to pip James Hogg 21-20; Ray Logan carded 1, 2, (2), 3 in a 19-17 defeat from John McDermott; Thomas Mann added 2, 1, 2 (2) to beat Paul Veitch 22-17; Steven Fleming finished 1, 2, (4), 2 to beat Andy Ramsay 20-17; Grant Logan added 1, 1, (2), (1), in a 17-9 defeat from Robert Marshall.

E& L bid to bounce back against Midlothian at Carrick Knowe today while West Lothian host East Lothian at Buchan Park, Broxburn.

Midlothian are buoyed by a an 18 shot away win over East Lothian at Haddington while triple joint leaders West Fife were toppled by a 9 shot defeat at home to Stirling County East.

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